Schools battling mold after two weeks of high humidity

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Schools battling mold after two weeks of high humidity

By KATRINA ALTERSITZ, Capital News Service

Published September 09, 2005, The Capital, polis, Md.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2005/09_09-35/TOP

When Beth moved back to land, she thought she'd left

behind her mold-fighting days in the elementary school at her old

neighborhood in Weston, Fla. Then she walked into Oak Hill

Elementary in Severna Park, and her nose, eyes and ears told her she

was wrong.

A musty smell permeates the school and ceiling tiles are bowed out,

apparently from moisture, Ms. said. Teachers told her they

pop Claritin allergy medicine throughout the school year and use

plastic-coated paper clips because the metal clips rust.

On Wednesday morning, at her first Parent Teacher Organization

meeting, Ms. heard Principal Cheryl Vauls say Oak Hill and

five other county schools had their mold problems treated over the

summer.

Yesterday, Ms. Vauls told a reporter, " It was a little thing and

it's done. "

But Ms. said she heard that when she lived in Florida. Her

son, , a fourth-grader at the time, developed allergic

reactions - sneezing and a skin rash -- in response to the mold that

the administration in Weston denied was there.

" When you have a child who has a problem ... they don't learn, " she

said. " They miss school. They have constant headaches. "

Anne Arundel County's mold problem crept up again this August after

two weeks of high humidity. Six schools underwent serious cleanup

efforts and three, including Oak Hill, even sanitized library books.

Magothy and Severn River middle schools, housed in one complex on

the Broadneck Peninsula, took 10 days to clean. But, as Ms.

pointed out, mold could be part of a larger indoor air quality

issue, a concern for both parents and teachers.

" When you have poor indoor air quality, then you also have mold

issues, " Ms. said.

There are many kinds of mold. All, according to the Environmental

Protection Agency, have the potential to trigger allergic reactions

or even asthma attacks.

For Ms. , those allergies pushed her and other parents to

action in Florida, resulting in an EPA investigation and cleanup.

Sheila Finlayson, president of the

Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, said her fellow

teachers here also fear for their health.

" This is a growing concern and the problem is going unaddressed, "

she said.

Principals at Fox and Severn River middle schools said they

would never put their students or faculty in danger.

The county school system said problems are addressed on a " case-by-

case basis as you see it, " said La Hart, the environmental

programs manager for Anne Arundel County public schools. " Very

rarely is it anything other than a maintenance issue. "

" Water always finds its way to a visible surface, " Mr. La Hart said.

And they wipe those visible surfaces with a bleach-water mixture or

remove moisture in carpets by ripping them up and replacing

them. " We can't go above every ceiling tile. "

But that is the concern of Ms. Finlayson, who asked. " What's

happening behind those walls? " For some parents, the problem is

relative. " I probably have more mold in my bathroom than in that

entire school, " said Sider, another parent at Oak Hill and a

vice president of the Parent Teacher Organization. The classroom

size is a higher priority for her than mold in the school.

Ms. disagreed. " They spend seven hours a day there, " she

said. " It's the long-term effects " that should be considered.

Duane Gels, an polis-based allergist, said he has not documented

any issues of children affected by mold in the county, but

encourages awareness.

" If you're allergic, the count doesn't need to be very high " to

trigger symptoms, he said.

His concern is students with asthma. Parents of asthmatic children

should monitor their responses throughout the week.